Earache

[Scho1]

Hi all, has anyone with pericarditis/pericardial effusion suffered with earache?

[Sunnie2day]

Yes. I have 'recurrent pericarditis' and pericardial effusion (cardiologist says the fluid is minimal so they aren't going in after it, just going to watch it and the thickening/scarring 'for now'), and yes I do get earache during a pericarditis 'flare'.

But. But I also get earache after I swim and then go outside if it's breezy (especially a brisk cool breeze), I get earache if my sinus' are congested, I get earache...I get earache at the drop of the hat and it's not always down to the pericarditis. So when I have an earache that lasts more than a couple of hours, I ring the GP.

[Scho1 in reply to Sunnie2day]

That's interesting thank you.

Thankfully I only get it with a pericarditis flare.

It's not something I'm used to having.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Scho1]

Is it the 'dull nagging ache' or the 'sharp omg if this doesn't stop I'm going to scream' earache? In either event, a couple of 300mg aspirin+massaging behind the offending ear then pulling the earlobe towards my nose seems to help.

But again, if the ache continues longer than a few hours, I'm on the phone to the GP.

[Scho1 in reply to Sunnie2day]

More of a dull continuous ache. It drives me mad.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Scho1]

Try clearing your sinus', then give the aspirin, massage, and earlobe tug a go. I hate both types but the dull ache is possibly even worse than the sharp pain, the dull ache is exhausting and in such a subtle way - you're not in agony like with the sharp pain but the dull ache just seems to last forever. And ever, and ever...

Are you careful to keep your ears out of the water during a flare? During a flare, I use those malleable silicone ear plugs when I shower to keep the water out, seems to help keep an earache from starting.

I would love it if some researcher had the time to work out why earaches and recurrent pericarditis seem to be co-relative. The connection might be important - kind of a chicken or egg thing, maybe. Which causes which, the earache leads to the pericarditis flare, or the pericarditis flare leads to the earache? I keep a health log but I've never noted when the earaches start, before or after the flare.

Do you get a warning with your recurrent pericarditis, a symptom or sign you might be heading into a flare? I usually start to feel as though I might be coming down with the flu - but the flu-like symptoms go away overnight and by the next afternoon I've got chest pain in the left side. Too late to do anything to stop it, sadly.

[Scho1 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Hi, yes I feel like I might be coming down with flu before a flare too but I also get very painful hands and feet as well as restless legs.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia a couple of years ago but cardiologist thinks I have some other autoimmune disease causing the pericarditis. The rheumatologist has ruled out Lupus but my bloods constantly indicate rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis.

Like you I wished they would look into the varying symptoms people get. The earache does wear you down but every time I mention it to the doctors I get a blank stare and “oh I haven’t come across that”statement. One young registrar cardiologist suggested the cause as being the vagus nerve?

I will try your remedies though. Anything that helps.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Scho1]

Finding something - anything - that helps isn't easy. If you stumble across something that works for you, please update here so I can try it.

Vagus nerve, that's interesting, I'm going to read up on that. Considering it runs through the shoulder to the brain (more or less, I'm trying to remember my Gray's), it might have something to do with it. Thank-you for that, I will definitely be reading up!

[Scho1 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Will keep you posted.